An introduction to Sikhism

Sikhism - a Modern Religion
Sikhism, the youngest among world religions, arose over 500 years ago in (sub-continental) India. It surged up across the
horizon as a great revolutionary force that changed the very course of Indian history. With its values of universalism, liberalism, humanism and pluralism, preached and propagated in the medieval age, Sikh religion introduced new elements which later flowered out in modern world civilization.
Sikhism endeavoured for a new dispensation characterized by the values of liberty, equality, justice, tolerance and non-violence, discarding discriminations of all kinds on grounds of creed, caste, class, race, region, sex, etc. God is realizable by man in his very earthly, household life, through spiritual
enlightenment, moral responsibility, intellectual catholicity and social commitment.
There are over 23 million Sikhs in the world with the majority resident in
Punjab, India.
Sikhism, a unique ´revealed´ religion originated with Guru Nanak (1469-1539 AD) who was succeeded by nine other
Guru's,Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708 AD) being the last and tenth Guru. It is a
distinctive monotheistic faith envisioning one Supreme God who is Creator also.

A Sikh (the word means
'disciple') is a person who follows the teachings of the ten Sikh Gurus and
the Guru Granth Sahib (the eternal Guru in the form of holy scriptures).
The Sikh Gurus were prophets whom
Sikhs believe were sent by God to deliver his message and to lead people on the
true path to God. Sikhs treat the Gurus with the same respect as they would
treat the one almighty God.
The Punjab is the centre of
Sikh culture and tradition, and most gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) linked
with the lives of the Gurus or famous Sikhs are to be found in the Punjab.

The Sikh religion was founded
by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. He taught that everyone is equal before God
and that the main purpose of human life is to devote oneself to the worship
and service of the one almighty God.
Guru Nanak knew that to remove
people from ritualism, idol worship, and the caste system would take
generations of divine teaching. For this reason, he was succeeded by nine
other Gurus. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh named the Adi Granth (the Sikh
holy scriptures) as the final Guru. These Scriptures then became known as the
Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs firmly believe that the
divine personality of Guru Nanak flowed through all eleven Gurus. For a short
description of Sikh words and symbols, have a look at the
Sikh Glossary.

Guru Nanak:

Guru
Nanak was born in 1469CE at Talwandi in the Punjab. Talwandi was later renamed
Nankana Sahib in his honour and is now in Pakistan. Guru Nanak's father, Mehta
Kalu, wanted to bring him up as an orthodox Hindu, but Guru Nanak rejected the
rituals and customs associated with Hinduism and other religions from the very
start. Instead he showed people the essence of true devotion to God.

He taught that human life is a
very precious opportunity to meet the creator, God, through absolute love and
devotion to him.

He taught that the sins of
lust, anger, greed, attachment to worldly things, and arrogance or pride take
us away from God. Guru Nanak always taught by example and through his own
humility, love and devotion to God he taught how human beings should live.

Guru
Nanak spread a simple message of "Ek Onkar": we
are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation. This was at a
time when India was being torn apart by castes, sectarianism, religious
factions, and fanaticism. He aligned with no religion, and respected all
religions. He expressed the reality that there is one God and many
paths, and the Name of God is Truth, "Sat Nam". Guru Nanak's followers were Sikhs (seekers
of truth). He taught them to bow only before God, and to link themselves to
the Guru, the Light of Truth, who lives always in direct consciousness of
God, experiencing no separation. Through words and example, the Guru
demonstrates to followers how to experience God within themselves, bringing
them from darkness into light. Guru Nanak was a humble bearer of this Light
of Truth. He opposed superstition, injustice, and hypocrisy and inspired
seekers by singing divine songs which touched the hearts of the most callous
listeners. These songs were recorded, and formed the beginnings of the
Sikhs' sacred writings, later to become the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib".

Guru Nanak taught his way of life:
Nam Japa - To get up each day before sunrise, to clean
the body, meditate on God's Name and recite the Guru's hymns to clean the
mind. Throughout the day, continuously remember God's Name with every
breath.
Dharam di Kirat Karni - To work and earn by the sweat of the brow,
to live a family way of life, and practice truthfulness and honesty in all
dealings.
Vand Ke
Chakna - To share the fruits of
one's labor with others before considering oneself. Thus, to live as an
inspiration and a support to the entire community.

The Golden Chain
The foundation of Sikhism was laid down by
Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak infused his own consciousness into a disciple, who
then became Guru, subsequently passing the light on to the next, and so on.
The word "Guru" is derived from the root words "Gu", which means darkness or
ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or knowledge The Guru is the
experience of Truth (God).

The Sikh Scripture, Guru Granth (earlier known as Adi Granth), is unique among the Scriptures of different religions. The Adi Granth
was prepared by the fifth Guru himself who compiled holy compositions of the earlier Gurus as well as of like-spirited Hindu Saints and Muslim Sufis. Later Guru Gobind Singh added to the Adi Granth the hymns of the ninth Prophet. Before passing away, Guru Gobind Singh bestowed ´Guruship´ on the Adi Granth, making it the Guru Granth, that is, the embodiment of the spirit of the Gurus. The Guru Granth thus is revered and worshipped as the eternal "living" Guru by the Sikhs. The Sikh Scripture contains 5894 holy hymns in 31 ragas (classical musical measures) of the Sikh Gurus, Hindu Saints and Muslim divines-36 in all-from the length and breadth of (sub-continental) India, embodying the spiritual enlightenment
and religious consciousness, from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century.

Khalsa is Born Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru,
exemplified the Sikh ideal of the Soldier-Saint. He was also an inspired and
prolific writer, courageous warrior, and a source of Divine Wisdom to his
Sikhs. "When all other means have failed," he said, "only then is it
righteous to take up the sword." He was the defender of the poor, the meek,
and the oppressed masses of India.
In 1699, at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh created the order of the Khalsa through the sacrament of baptismal ´amrit´. The Guru thereby institutionalized the universal, humanistic teachings of Guru Nanak who in the medieval age had envisioned a new civilization characterised by a new value pattern based on the primacy of the human spirit.

Here was a unique message : the humanity of God and the divinity of man - a
concept from which emanate, in a sense, the ideals enshrined in the Preamble to
the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms "faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small."

The Khalsa is a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood devoted to purity of
thought and action. Guru Gobind Singh gave the Khalsa a
distinctive external form to remind them of their commitment, and to help
them maintain an elevated state of consciousness. Every Sikh baptized as
Khalsa vows to wear the Five "K's":

Kesh - uncut hair and beard, as given by God, to
sustain him or her in higher consciousness; and a turban, the crown of
spirituality.
Kangha - a wooden comb to properly
groom the hair as a symbol of cleanliness.

Katchera -
specially made cotton underwear as a reminder of the commitment to purity.

Kara - a steel
circle, worn on the wrist, signifying bondage to Truth and freedom from
every other entanglement.

Kirpan - the sword, with which the Khalsa is
committed to righteously defend the fine line of the Truth.

Khalsa also vows to refrain from any sexual
relationships outside of marriage, and to refrain from taking meat, tobacco,
alcohol, and all other intoxicants.

Then Guru Gobind Singh infused his own being
into the Khalsa, declaring that the Khalsa was now the Guru in all temporal
matters. For spiritual matters, the Guruship was given to the "Siri Guru
Granth Sahib", a compilation of sacred writings by those who have
experienced Truth. For Sikhs, "Siri Guru Granth Sahib" is the living
embodiment of the Guru, and is regarded with the utmost reverence and
respect wherever it is found. Sikhs all over the world took to the "Siri
Guru Granth Sahib" as their living Guru, as the source of spiritual
instruction and guidance.

'Takht' which literally means a throne or seat of authority is a result of
historical growth of Sikhism. There are five Takhats. Two of the five Takhts are located outside Punjab and are Takht
Sri Patna Sahib, Patna in
Bihar, and Takht
Sri Hazoor Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra.
The other three Takhts are in
Punjab -
Akal Takht
in
Amritsar,
Sri Keshgarh Sahib
in Anandpur and
Sri Damdama
Sahib at Talwandi Sabo Bhatinda district.